California stormwater has been making news headlines non-stop since the massive rain and snowstorms they’ve received early this year. Social media was buzzing with proclamations that “the drought is over!” leading the public into a fabricated feeling of relief. In previous weeks we’ve expressed our concerns that the drought isn’t over and California still has a lot of work to do in order to replenish their most valuable resource, groundwater.
An article from The Verge by Brett Walton, California’s huge storms still haven’t ended the drought’s impacts, defines “drought” and recognizes the false sense of security after receiving significant rainfall.
In the last week, the state has received over a foot of rain meanwhile reservoirs are reaching and exceeding historic levels. What does the California Department of Water Resources interstate resources manager think of the idea that the drought is over?
“If you’re looking at precipitation, plant health, and soil moisture, then yes — the drought looks to be over for the majority of the state, the National Drought Mitigation Center reports. When you think about drought and impacts, it’s really at the local scale where you need to look.”
Groundwater contributes 40-60 percent of the state’s water supply depending on annual rainfall. While some communities are well-hydrated others are not quite so lucky and rely solely on water drawn from wells.
(Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue)
It’s inevitable – California needs to manage its groundwater better. In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act into law but water managers have until 2040 to implement more sustainable practices. California cannot wait until 2040 – groundwater is the present and future of sustainable water supplies.
It’s all about groundwater and we know a thing or two about to capture, filter, and replenish it. Practical groundwater solutions begin with drywells. Not only are drywells a small footprint stormwater management solution, they come with an affordable price tag and improve a projects capacity for aquifer recharge. Torrent is ready to help California take the first steps in the right direction towards sustainable water supplies – are you?
Whether you’re familiar or unfamiliar with our products, we can provide a free Lunch & Learn that demonstrates the power of our systems and gives insight on how to include them on your next project. MaxWell® has been outperforming other drywells for over 44 years. Learn more about the history of the MaxWell here.